Dream's Of Reality
by Gizmostoys
Summary: Reality is defined as the world of which things truly exist. But what happens when dreams and reality start to blur and the sleeper can't tell whether she's asleep or awake. Renee Crane is about to find out how hard it really is to figure out. GaaraXOC
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own anything other then the OC's.

I got this little idea from a dream. So I got to thinking, what if I had a character that couldn't tell which reality was real? And so came forth Renee Crane, a young woman trying to find her spot in life when she gets plagued with dreams so real she could not tell the difference. The more she merges with the dreams the more confused she gets. I hope you all reading this story enjoy it as much as I had writing.

Dreams of reality 1

_Welcome To Reality_

_'You spend a third of your life sleeping. What if your dreams are real?' ~ M.D. Robert Lanza_

"I might be an old lady by the time you decide what you want to eat." A browned hair teen grumbled as she glared at her friend who was taking the longest time decide what she wanted.

Renee glanced up at Mary who was slouched against the booth ripping her straw-paper into little pieces. "Patients is a virtue." She replied calmly before looking away from the brunette and back at the menu.

"Yes, one I apparently don't have." Mary glanced over at Kathy who sighed.

Renee's brow twitched as she glanced up at the two. "Look it's only been three minutes and the waiters not even here. Let me decide in peace."

Mary snorted and Kathy chuckled. "Please Renee if you wanted the Waiter over here all you had to do is lean forward and press that very impressive chest of yours onto this table here." Kathy, a strawberry blond, patted the top of the wooden table.

Glaring at Kathy, Renee dropped the menu and clasped her hands together on top of the table. "I would never use my body like that nor would that work."

"Oh yes it does. Just like when you cross your arms when you're upset about something." Kathy pushed some of her strawberry blond bangs out of her face and laid her chin on her palm. "When you do that it pushes them out and guys come drooling around you."

"I do not do that!" Renee protested before catching herself crossing her arms over her chest. "Leave my assets alone." She grumbled as her friends chuckled at her.

"Their called breast Renee." Kathy clucked her tongue and shook her head.

"I hate you." Renee made a grab at her Sprite to sip it, but Mary pulled it out of her reach.

"Aw don't sulk Renee Pooh! It makes those luscious lips of yours look so _kissable_" Mary wiggled her brow suggestively.

Blushing Renee snagged her drink away from Mary's clutches and stuck her tongue out. "You are a sex offender! Trying to steal my innocence's the moment I look away." She took a sip of her bubbly soda and sighed at the sweet taste of her favorite cola.

"What innocence's?" Kathy asked.

"Haha." Renee pushed some of her curls behind her ear. "This is the last time I eat with ya'll."

"You know what would be even better." Mary suddenly declared. "Why don't you use your," Mary licked her lips and leaned forward over the table. She cupped her mouth and loudly whispered. "_Assets_ to get us lunch for free." When she leaned back she and Kathy busted out laughing at the sour expression on Renee's face.

"You guys are bitches." She mumbled and crossed her arms under her breast, which pushed them up more. As soon as she did that the waiter appeared, looking eager to please.

Mary and Kathy stopped laughing and looked at the waiter, then Renee, then one another before laughing even louder then before.

"Ignore them." Renee said as she looked up at the waiter, who happen to be a handsome ginger. "Their both on crack."

"Hey now." Kathy wiped the tear away from her brown eyes and sobered up rather quickly. "I want you to take that back."

"Not going to happen." Renee mumbled before looking up at the waiter who looked slightly uncomfortable. "We are ready to order sir." She smiled kindly at him and noticed some of his tension disappear.

"Oh finally decided did we." Mary taunted.

Renee ignores them as she placed her order. While her friends followed suit and ordered, Renee studied the male waiter they had. He was attractive, but there was something about dating, or asking someone out, that made her pause. She was fine being single, but at the same time she was lonely. Renee glanced across the table to her friends entwined hands. Relationships, Renee decided, were odd.

Lunch, as expected, was filled with laughter. But even with all the mirth that floated around the table, Renee couldn't help but feel a little left out every time her friends looked at each other with the googly eye expression. Renee frowned while chewing on a frie, perhaps being in a relationship wasn't so bad. After all Kathy and Mary didn't seem unhappy. She glanced up from her plate to catch them sharing a kiss.

Parted lips with wide blue eyes Renee looked away from the two love birds sitting across from her. "A little to much PDA." Renee dug into her purse as she decided that she was full, plus she was feeling a little too uncomfortable.

"To much PDA for us, or to little PDA for you?" Kathy asked as she messed with Mary's hair.

"I'm going to agree with Kathy here." Mary tapped her fork against the edge of her plate while she talked. "You need to get your self a lover."

"Ah-ha" Renee plucked her wallet from her bag and glanced at her two friends. "You do realize I'm eighteen right?" She pulled out a ten and dropped it on the table, more then enough for her eight dollar meal. "A lover would be a bit much."

"Oh you need to live a little." Mary grumbled.

"And you should really eat more, Renee." Kathy added after she noticed her friends half eaten burger and fries. "At the rate you eat things you're going to turn into a skeleton."

"And yet I can't seem to keep the weight off." Renee pinched at the fat on her arm in a teasing manner. She was not heavy or anything, she was actually the appropriate weight for her short height. It was a little funny how she was a chubby child when she was younger, but was also the tallest. Then as years past she stopped growing and became the shortest. Her current height was 4'9 where she had been for the past six years.

"Fat indeed." Mary snorted. "I can barely see anything but bones."

"Ya ya, well I got counseling to go to." Renee slipped from the booth and grabbed her bag.

"Alright babe see you later." Mary winked and Kathy blow her a kiss.

Renee snorted. "Ya and ya'll have fun with the rest of your date."

Mary through her head back. "Oh we will." She grabbed Kathy's hand and made the red head blush.

Sticking her tongue out at her friends Renee waved goodbye but not before she noticed her friends lean into one another. She shook her head and slipped out into the darkening night. She always felt like a third wheel when she hung out with them. Not that their dating bothered her, it helped they were the same sex, but the fact that they were crazy about one another. Love that defied law and logic, it was a yearning every girl had to be loved unconditionally. It was something Renee wanted, but also didn't. She had tried once, dating. It had been nice at first, but then her partner started to demand more and more of her time. Renee wasn't exactly anti-social, but she didn't want to spend every moment with her boyfriend. Then things escalated when he wanted to take the next step. Sex was the one thing that wasn't on her mind twenty-four-seven, and when she informed her boyfriend that she was not interested in having sex in the near future, he flat out dumped her. That was the happiest day of her life, simply because she had gotten her freedom back.

Renee sighed and plopped down on bus once it arrived. The ride between the restaurant and the office buildings was less then five minutes. Looking out the window to the street lamps that were slowly flickering to life Renee sighed again. Her life seemed to be dragging on, even at eighteen Renee could feel something in her life was missing. She once chalked it up to the father figure that was absent in her life. Tires squealed to a stop and Renee grabbed her bag before stepping out into the aisle. She glanced over at a handsome teen sitting on the bus with a gray hoodie and looking out the window with a bored expression. Her attempt at dating was an effort to fill the hole that was missing, but it had only made the feeling increase. Stepping off the bus she sucked in a large breath and looked up at the few stars that were starting to twinkle in the darkening sky. It didn't matter how she tried the feeling wouldn't go away, so she stopped trying to make it better, that was until the incident.

With her sneakers scuffing against the wet cement of the sidewalk, Renee headed for the small office buildings, one on the far end was her destination. For two years now after the incident Renee had been going to therapy. It was a forced requirement her mother Deborah, Debby for short, had made her go to. It wasn't that Renee had any troubling behavior, or a teen psychological problem, after all she was a healthy 18 year old girl. No she was forced into therapy sessions the day after her sister entered a coma. The incident, as Renee called it. She was the last of the family Debby had left, so she was treated like a porcelain doll that would break at any minute. At first the therapy sessions just mad her angry. There was nothing wrong with her. Her sister was in a coma, not dead. But soon the sessions started to show that that anger was actually covered up fear. What if Abby never woke, or worse died. What will happen to me then?

Life was slowly getting better after that. The anger faded, she became social again (something she didn't even noticed happening), her mother dropped some of her protective barriers. But still that missing feeling just widen and deepened. Pulling open the door to the office complex Renee was greeted with the cool breeze of the AC. She shivered and bit her lip, if there was one thing she hated it was that this place was always cold. In fact all the office places seemed cold for some odd reason. Pulling her jacket closer Renee stepped into the waiting area and smiled at Rachel, a blond hair assistant with a quirky attitude.

"Evening Rachel. Dropped some papers?" Renee knelt beside the blond to help collected the loose-leaf papers.

Wide hazel eyes looked at the offered papers. "Ah thank you Renee." She stacked the papers on top of one another. "I could have never done this without you!" She cooed as she stood.

Renee laughed at the exaggerate tone. "I know!" She dusted off her pants. "You might have gotten a paper-cut, then where would you have been then!"

"Probably bleeding to death on the floor." Rachel declared as she pushed some of her blue tipped blond from her eyes.

Renee snorted. "By the way the blue looks pretty good this time." She liked the soft blue that was entwined in the strings of blond. Rachel had the tendency to make her hair multicolored and change it every so often.

"Yes worship my awesome hair." Rachel deadpanned while she looked over the stack of papers. "You know I don't think there was a time you didn't compliment my hair."

"Oh yes there is, the time you turned your hair orange. I never said anything about that one." Renee grinned while Rachel glared.

"I thought that was my best hairdo yet."

Renee shook her head. "So where's Lori?" She finally asked as she noticed Rachel's brow frown at the papers she read.

"Oh," Rachel looked up from her paper. "She's running a tad-bit behind on the last person, so she'll be a little late for your session."

"Ah well it can't be helped." Renee shrugged.

"Ya well I have some papers to reorganized. You can wait on the couch." Rachel nodded towards the hard as brick-back leather couch and Renee laughed.

"No problem Rachel." She smiled as she settled on the couch. "You can go about doing what you need to. I'll stay here."

Rachel nodded before gathering her papers off the counter and sitting back at her desk. Renee sighed and leaned on the armrest with her arms crossed she laid her head on them and yawned. Renee closed her eyes and listened to the fast clicking of computer keys. With her body relaxed, Renee was lulled into a comfortable sleep on an uncomfortable couch.

)(

Renee blinked before rubbing her eyes and blinking again at her surroundings. Sand, lots and lots of sand surrounded Renee. She blinked slowly before finally observing the rest of the area. Tall sand built buildings towered high above her while sandy wind swept past her. Confused Renee took a few steps forward with a frown printed on her face.

"Where am I?" She mumbled to herself. Renee turn to look at the squeaking swing when she felt something slither across her mind. Startled Renee grasped her head and whipped around to see what had touched her. An empty playground greeted her.

_'Calm down.'_ A voice cooed in Renee's ear making her gasp and turn in another circle with her hands fisted in her curls.

"Who's there?" Renee called expecting whatever female taunting her to step out.

_'We are here.'_ The voice whispered, only this time Renee realized that the voice resounded in her mind not her ears.

Her lips parted in horror and she stood frozen. _'Relax Renee I have always been here, remember?'_ The feminine voice cooed gently as if she was talking to a toddler.

Slowly Renee unclenched her first from her hair and let them drop listlessly to her sides. "No," She whispered to herself, feeling foolish while doing it as well. "I don't remember."

_'Yes you do.'_ The voice insisted. Almost instantly she felt something stretch across her mind, a gentle probing.

Again Renee's hand flew to her scalp as she dug her blunt nails into the flesh beneath all the roots. "Stop that!" She hissed.

_'Remember me and I will.'_ The voice hissed back as it gently probed the back of Renee's mind.

"Fuck you." She growled out.

_'Such fowl laughed for a child.'_ The voice sighed.

"I am not a child." Renee snapped. "I am a grown woman."

_'A grown woman who can't reach the monkey bars above her?' _It taunted.

"What!" Renee looked above her and sure enough she was several feet shorter then the high metal bars far above her. "That's not possible." She whispered before looking down at her body. Instead of the large bosom she had been teased about earlier, her chest was flat as a little boys. She simply gaped at the sight of her new, or old, child body. "I'm dreaming." She mumbled absently as she pressed her hands to the boobless chest. "I'm dreaming."

_'You sure?'_ The voice asked. _'You sure it's not the other way around and you just woke up?'_

Renee blinked at her sand covered shoes and stopped groping herself. Could it be she was in fact awake? Renee shook her head, causing her curls to bounce at the movement. "No I am dreaming."

_'How do you know?'_

"Because I don't remember anything about this _'life'_ or how I got here. And I remember falling asleep." Renee listed of her reasons on her fingers.

_'Or You don't remember because you can't remember.'_

"Suuure." Renee rubbed at her eyes when before blinking again. "And why can't I remember."

_'Because you weren't meant to, you were never meant to wake up.'_

"Uh-huh right. So I was suppose to sleep forever?" Renee was getting bored with this.

_'Not sleep, but stay dormant.'_

Renee twitched. Something about that rubbed at her memories, something she felt she needed to remember. Instead of focus on the nagging feeling Renee shrugged. "Whatever, I don't care, I don't believe you, and I want you out of my head NOW." She snarled.

There was an unsettled stillness in her mind that made Renee shifted uncomfortable. "Did you hear me?" She demanded after a minute.

_'Hush he approaches?' _The voice snapped as she shifted across her mind.

Renee froze again something about the way the voice spoke made her wary. "Who?" she hissed quietly and waited for a reply that never came. A snapping noise coming from around the swings drew Renee's immediate attention. She stood petrified, unable to run like her fluttering heart. She heard blood rushing in her ears as she watched breathlessly for _him_ to show himself. For all the things Renee cooked up in her mind the tiny red headed boy was not one.

As soon as the little child stepped out from behind some dead shrubs Renee relaxed. Her mouth tipped into a smile and she almost, almost, laughed at her reaction to the child.

_'He's no mere child.'_ The voice hissed in Renee's mind, she ignored it.

As soon as Renee took a step forward the little boys head swung in her direction. He had wide terrified eyes the tore Renee's heart to bits. More then the terror printed upon his face, Renee noticed the dark, dark circles around his pupil-less eyes. These odd features strengthened Renee's theory that she was indeed asleep. Dream or not, Renee was not one to have a child afraid of her. With a strong determination Renee stepped towards the child.

_'Be wary.'_ The voice cautioned softly.

_'He is just a child.'_ Renee reply as she studied to the red head who now clutched a small worn teddybear in front of him.

_'A child who should be feared.'_ The voice said.

_'A child should never have that fear in them.'_ Renee retorted sharply in her mind. "Hello." She called softly out loud. Shock filtered across the red heads face as Renee approached. "I am Renee." She stopped a good foot away from the boy and held her hand out to him, all the while she kept a large smile on her face.

The red head clutched his bear tighter and stared at Renee and her offered hand. She started to wiggle her fingers at him and leaned forward to peer into his face. "Your supposes to shake it and tell me your name." She noticed as she giggled how childlike it sounded.

The red head blinked before slowly releasing his death grip on the bear to quickly grasp Renee's hand and release it just as quickly. "I'm Gaara." He whispered softly.

_'Gaara No Sabaku.'_ The voice whispered suddenly.

"Gaara No Sabaku?" Renee rolled the name off her tongue and noticed once again the shock on Gaara's face. "You want to play?" She asked suddenly when he stepped away from her. It was funny and also heart wrenching when Gaara looked around him like she couldn't possibly be talking to him. Renee was beginning to frown when her hand was suddenly clasped within the Gaara's as he stared excitedly at her.

"Okay." Renee blinked slowly as she was pulled towards an open area in the center of the playground. She had not expected Gaara to eagerly agree to play with her since he was staring at her earlier with terror.

He position her to stand before backing way to stand a few feet away from her. He stood still suddenly like something had occurred to him. Renee found it damn adorable when Gaara flushed red and looked down at the ground to grumbled something.

"What?" She called. "I didn't catch that." She had a smile on her face as she cocked her head at him. Her honeydew curls slide across her forehead and covered her left eye.

"I don't have a ball." Gaara stated louder, though Renee still barely heard it.

Pursing her lips she glanced around before looking back at Gaara who looked heart broken. She was going to suggest playing something else but he looked so crestfallen. "Okay!" Renee placed her hands on her hips and puffed out her cheeks. "Let's remedy that." She looked away from Gaara's stare. She ponder what she could use before looking down at the gray scar wrapped around her neck, she assumed it was there to protect her skin from the sun. Pulling it off her shoulders to reveal a black shirt beneath, she wadded the cloth into a tight ball. Holding the cloth ball out with one hand she smiled at Gaara. "Here." She tossed the clothing and watched him catch it. "Sorry it's not the real deal, but it'll probably works just as good." Renee waited for Gaara's response.

He didn't disappoint. He looked between the ball and her before smiling and tossing it back at her. Renee had to take a few steps forward when it start to fall short, but she laughed all the same and tossed it back at him. They did this for a few minutes before Renee stopped tossing the 'ball' to fix it. She tightens to clothing ball when it seemed to be coming apart before tossing it back at him.

"You remind me of a Panda." Renee started to chat. "It's the circles around your eyes."

Gaara blinked at her words and looked down at the dust on his feet. "I don't sleep."

"Never?" Renee gaped when he nodded. She was moving before she knew it and was soon standing in front him. Her hands reached for his face but jerked when little hands snapped up, smacking them away. "Oh!" She exclaimed and stepped away while holding her throbbing hand. "I'm sorry!" She said with a voice that was an octave higher then it should have been. The voice growled at the back of her mind when the pain flared from the small scratch on the back of her hand.

Gaara's shocked eyes glance between her face an her hand she held. When his lip started to tremble Renee started to laugh, trying to ease the pain in his face.

"Don't worry I'm fine." She chuckled and held up her had with her palm showing. Renee didn't want to show Gaara the scratch on the back of her hand.

"I'm sorry." Gaara whispered brokenly as he hung his head.

"Sorry for what?" Renee cocked her head while she placed hands on her hips. "You reacted accordingly."

Gaara raised his head and blinked. "A-accordingly?"

"Ya!" Renee raised her finger and leaned forward. "It means um...doing something appropriately. You didn't want me to touch you so you stopped me." Renee paused and wiped some of her blood on her black pants before rubbing her hair. "Though you might want to say you don't like being touched next time." She grinned. "It'll save me some pain."

Gaara's wide eyes darted around her face taking in all her features. "I-I don't mind."

Renee stopped rubbing her head and blinked. "What?"

Gaara straighten his shoulders stopped shaking. "You can touch me." He declared proudly.

_'Aw the little monster wants to be touched.'_ The voice brawled with heavy sarcasm. _'Why don't you just oblige.'_

_'Shut up!'_ Renee snapped. _'He's a child not a monster.'_

"Are you sure?" At Gaara's nod Renee raised her hand again. "I tend to touch others without thinking." She started to explain while she held her hand out this time doing so very slowly. "May I?" Even though he had already given her permission Renee asked, she had seen his eyes when her hands had closed in. His beautiful jade eyes had filled with repulsing fear. A fear that was only born from experience. What kind of child feared being touched by others?

She kept moving slowly till her fingers grazed the soft skin of cheek. She cupped his round cheek with her tiny chubby hand and smiled her toothy grin when Gaara leaned into her touch. He looked like a kitten being scratched behind the ear. Content and satisfied.

"You look like someone hasn't touched you in years." Renee mumbled quietly. She hadn't expected the guilty look to flash across his face. "You're kidding right?" She dropped her hand and watched the look of yearning flash in his eyes.

"Everyone's afraid of me." He mumbled quietly while looking down at his feet.

"Well that's stupid, why are they afraid of someone who looks like a panda." When Gaara didn't look up from his feet Renee through her arms around him. For a moment she froze while he stiffened. Renee half expected him to shove her away any minute, but then Gaara moved his arms. He pushed his face into her shoulder and fisted the clothing of her back before shuddering like he had never been hugged before in his life. The trembling little boy pressed against her was ripping Renee's heart to shreds.

_'Do you still think he's a monster?'_ Renee asked as she rubbed Gaara's trembling shoulders.

_'You can only see the mask.'_ The voice replied.

_'There is something seriously wrong with you.'_ Renee didn't hid the disgust to the voice.

_'And just images what's wrong with you then. Since I'm in your head.' _The voice snorted and Renee fell silent. If the voice was indeed her own conscious then what did that make her?

'_Relax, I am not your conscious I am a separate entity all together.'_

'_What! What are you?' _Renee demanded, but the voice didn't answer. In fact she couldn't even feel the slight tingling sensation in the back of her head anymore. It was like the voice had retreated.

"You know Gaara-kun." Renee said after a moment of staring at the pinking sky and searching through her quiet head. "You can have a hug anytime you want."

Glassy jade eyes looked back at her. "Really?" He asked.

"Sure thing Panda." She grinned and held his shoulder. "After all I am your friend." She had an squinty eye smile on her face when Gaara tackled her with another hug.

She blinked and looked down at the boys shaking shoulders. "It's okay Gaara." She blinked away her own tears as she felt Gaara shuddering sob. "Its what friends are for." She glanced around and tried not to join into the sob fest. She had only met the boy fifteen minutes ago and she already felt like she needed to protect him. Her lips tipped down into a frown as she remembered that this was a dream, and yet…She glanced at Gaara as he pulled her closer. She could feel his fingers dig slightly into her back and feel the ghost of his breath against her skin. Everything felt real, from the grains of sand pelting her feet to the rays of the setting sun. Her train of thoughts were interrupted by a loud voice.

"Gaara-kun!" A male voice yelled off in the distance. Renee pulled back and looked at Gaara's glassy eyes and tear stained cheeks. She reached up and wiped away the few tears that remained.

"Hey now, no crying!" She bent down and scooped up the little bear that was on the ground beside them.

"Gaara-kun!" The voice called again, this time a little closer.

"I suppose this is goodbye." Renee smiled and wiped the sand off the teddybear before holding it out for Gaara to take. Instead of taking his toy Gaara stared wide eyed at her. "I'll see you tomorrow right?" She asked when the hurt look gleamed his eyes again.

A toothy grinned slide across Gaara's face as he finally took the bear from her hands. "I'll be here." She returned his smile with her own before motioning him to leave with her hands.

"I'll see you tomorrow Panda."

Gaara waved as he started to back away. "Bye Renee-chan!" He called as he ran towards the voice that was calling his name again.

Renee was thinking how cute the little red head was when the tingling sensation stirred in the back of her mind. "Go ahead and say what you want." Renee raised her hand to wave at Gaara when he stopped a good distance away to wave at her again.

_'The child has a demon sealed away within him.'_ The voice mumbled and Renee froze mid wave.

_'You're lying.'_ She hissed while clenching her hands.

_'No I'm not.'_ The voice was soft and filled with a sort of regret.

Renee clucked her tongue. "I don't care what you say anymore." She hissed. "Your not real. Non of this is." She turned to leave the play ground when her foot stumbled underneath a strong wave of dizziness.

_'Renee?'_ The voice seemed to cling to the front of her mind, trying to keep the black dots on the edge of her vision at bay. Renee could feel its panic as it called her name over and over. It was no use however, as Renee's vision faded in and out. She opened her mouth to scream but no noise escaped as she was swallowed into the darkness.

"Renee." A patting motion against her cheek made Renee groan. Blinking her eyes open, she was greeted with the sight of smiling brown eyes.

"Yo!" Lori smiled and gave her a peace sign.

Renee shot up and looked around confused. Her dream still clouded the forefront of her mind. It was such a vivid dream, so real she almost expected a voice to interrupt her thoughts. "I uh…." She looked around the quiet office before looking back at her therapist's amused face.

"Feeling discombobulated sleepyhead?" Lori chuckled and messed with Renee's curls.

Snorting She moved out from underneath Lori's hand and stood. "I wouldn't have slept if you didn't keep me waiting."

"You were asleep for five minutes." Rachel pointed out from her spot behind the counter. She and Lori laughed at Renee's scrunched up face.

"No way." Renee looked at the wooden clock ticking on the wall, it had indeed been about five minutes since she lounged on the couch.

"Come now." Lori beckoned as she walked towards her office. "Let's get our session started."

After a few minutes sitting on a red fabric couch and retelling Lori her dream she stared at the ceiling. "It was very vivid. I mean I could feel the grains of sand when the wind blew." Renee sighed. She glanced over at her Lori, who was jotting down notes in her little black book she kept especially for Renee.

Lori was a rather plump woman with straight blond and brown eyes, hidden by glasses. She had a sweet smile and a kind heart. Besides her over weight built, Lori was actually a rather pretty woman.

Placing the pen against her lips she hummed at Renee an glanced up from her book. "Where would you like to start?" She asked.

Renee shifted into a sitting position. "I want to start with the voice."

* * *

So does anyone else ever notice how Office buildings always seem to be freezing? I always have to carry a jacket with me when go in one. Thank you all for reading this. Hope to see you next chapter. ~GT


	2. Coming Home?

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the OC's that pop up here and there.

Sorry this is so late, I would have posted it sooner, but work and my sisters birthday put a delay on it. I am hoping to post at least once a week, we'll see how that goes. I want to thank all my readers for giving yhis a chance. THANK YOU ALL! AND I would like to give special thanks to my two reviewers.

**Guest**: Thank you for your review, I hope you read this one and enjoy it. Thank yo for your review and I hope you like the direction I take this story.

**You be ****haunted**: I totally love this name! And I LOVE YOUR REVIEW! thank you for it!

Now on with the story!

Dream's Of Reality

Chapter 2

Coming Home?

All human beings are also dream beings. Dreaming ties all mankind together.

Jack Kerouac

* * *

"Excuse me?" Debby glanced at her daughter as she stirred the soup she was making for dinner.

"I said mom, did I ever have an imaginary friend when I was younger." Renee folded her arms over the chairs back as she straddled it backwards. She had asked this particular questioned because she and Lori had discuss it. She had pointed multiple things the voice could have been. Her sister had been one and another was an old imaginary friend.

Debby 'hummed' to herself before turning to look at her child. Unlike her daughter who had honey brown curls, Debby had straight blond hair. "You did." Debby smiled and leaned her hip against the counter. "It was so cute you were always talking to her."

Renee leaned forward eager to hear more. "Do you know what I called her?"

Turning back to her soup Debby shook her head. "I can't quiet recall, it was something...odd. Like an animals name." Debby hummed again before calling her daughter over.

As Renee drew closer she wrinkled her nose at the smell coming from the large metal pot on the stove. When she peered into it she could see the dark liquid boiling.

"Here," Debby held out her wooden spoon to her daughter to taste her newest creation.

Swallowing Renee parted her lips and took to spoon full into her mouth. She kept her face straight as the salty sour taste exploded in her mouth, making her want to gag at the awful taste. "Mmmm." Renee cooed as she sauntered back to her seat where her cup of water had been. "That has a...unique taste." As she sat back in the chair her hand twitch to grab the water and gulp it down so she wouldn't have the sour taste in her mouth anymore, Renee however wasn't going to drink while her mother faced her.

"Good!" Debby clapped her hands and glanced at the soup. "It should be ready in an hour to eat then."

Renee snatched her cup when her mothers attention diverted to the food. She took two large gulps before placing it back on the table. She was almost caught. "That's good." Renee coughed as the cool liquid worsen the tasted instead of soothing it. "I planned on visiting Abby before dinner." She ignored the way her mothers smiled strained at the mention of her sisters name. "You want to come?" She asked. Renee already knew the answer but she asked out of curtsy then anything else.

"No baby, I want to keep an eye on dinner." She had turned away from Renee now, not looking at her. "I already saw her this morning anyways." They both knew why Debby denied the invatation. She had always felt guilty over Abby and preferred to see her on her own.

Sigh her picked up her bag and headed for the door. "Kay, see ya in an hour."

"Don't be late, Renee. I love you." Debby called as her daughter slipped out the door.

Breathing in the cool night air, Renee walked away from her apartment complex and headed towards the bus stop to get a ride to the hospital. As she sat there she reflected on the past.

Two years ago Abby got into an 'accident,' no one really knows the details of what happened the night she was found covered in blood and a gash on the side of her head. What was known was that most the blood was not hers. She had been a coma ever since that night. Rubbing her brow, Renee wondered what had happened that night like she did every time she waited for the bus. Sighing she laid her head back against the cold metal of the bench and close her eyes. She pressed her palm to her eye and wanted nothing more then to sink back into a world where nothing was wrong.

_'Welcome back.'_ A voice cooed and Renee opened her eyes. She found herself slumped against a hard wall in the shadows of a large building. Yawning she stretched and rubbed her eyes.

"What happened?" Renee's child voice mumbled. She jerked and realized she must have fallen asleep on the bench while waiting for the bus. Frowning Renee chewed her lip and worried about someone stealing her stuff as she slept. "Damn."

_'Relax._' The voice cooed softly in her ear. _'You're awake now. No need to worry about trivial things like dreams.'_ Renee could just picture a smiling mouth as the voice talked.

"Right like falling asleep at a bus stop is nothing to worry about. Its not like anyone would take advantage of a vulnerable woman." Renee deadpanned as she rubbed her eyes and stretched. "You know," Renee started before the voice could add her own opinion to her statement. "If you really wanted me to believe this was all real," She tugged her blue scarf closer, fixing it to hug her neck better. "You should really explain why I am just waking up in the middle of parks and such."

'_No need to.' _The voice said._ 'I'm sure you'll start to remember how you got here, you're family, and all about your life in Suna.'_

Renee snorted. "And all about you too." She could 'feel' the voice ponder this for a moment before whispering.

_'Hopefully.'_

Renee shifted her feet as she pondered something. "Tell me something." She said after a moment.

_'Something.'_

"Haha funny." Renee said with fake sarcasm. "You insist that this is the...real world, reality..."

_'I'm sensing more to this sentence.' _The voice stated trying to encourage Renee to talk more after she fell silent.

"If this is reality." Renee waved her hand about her face. "Why don't I remember this life? And why would I be a child while my other half is a adult?"

_'Good questions.'_ The voice was silent, and stayed silent for a few minutes before Renee felt a shift in her mind. She gasped and her hands flew to her head as images flashed before her eyes, like watching a movie. She saw herself, a child cradled in her mothers arms with her father standing next to them with his arm wrapped around Debby's shoulders. More images flashed across her mind, a house, meals, laughing with her sister. Then something twisted the happy memories shifted to something darker. The small smile that had been on Renee's face vanished to turned into a horrified grimace. Screams, pleas, and pain filled her head.

"Enough!" Renee hissed as she grasped her head. The memories settled, nothing was flashing in rapid motion anymore, but the images were still there. The earliest as three was settled in her mind as she peered into a crib, over looking a baby Abby. She even remembered coming to the park to see Gaara and falling a sleep while waiting for him. Tears pricked at her eyes as she looked at the moments with her father, a man who held nothing but hate for her and her mother. She could still feel the stings of his hits that had long since been healed.

_'See now.'_ The voice whispered mournfully. _'Those are your memories. I had preferred to let you forget those until you were ready, but you insisted._'

Renee slumped against the wall. "I have an abusive father in this life and no father in the other." She snorted and rested her head against the rough texture of the wall behind her. As she rifled through her blurred memories and tried to compare them to her other memories she realized that she couldn't pull up any clear memories of the other life like she could this one. "Weird."

_'Indeed, I have been trying to understand what it is your father has done to our mind. It's like your torn from this world to be whisked away to a place so deep in your mind I can't even reach you.'_

"I meant that this dream is weird." Renee stood up and dusted her pants off as she heard the voice sigh. As she brushed the sand off she caught sight of a dark blue bruise in her wrist. With no reason she poked at it and hissed in pain.

_'Idiot.'_ the voice mumbled. _'Of course that's going I hurt, it's real after _all.'

"No it's not." Renee concluded as she poked the bruise again, and blinked back the tears that sprang up in reaction. "I'm dreaming."

_'No your not.'_ The voice insisted.

"Yes I am." Renee dropped her hands to her side and looked around. "Why would I dream of being an adult if I was a kid, huh?"

_'Because it's a good way to throw off an enemy, trick them. Turn their mind on itself. It is basic knowledge.'_ The voice fell quiet for a moment as Renee thought that she was going mental. _'Not mental you're just waking up.'_

"I'm to smart for a...five year old." Renee shot back, she was starting to feel desperate, because she was honestly starting to believe the voice. Yet she clung to her reasoning, there were to many factors to the equation that was missing.

_'You have always been smart for your age. You take that and add me, your got a sixteen year old mind stuck in a child's body.'_

"I don't want to talk about this anymore." Renee mumbled as she took a few steps away from the wall.

_'Why because you're starting to believe me.' _

"Noooo!" Renee retorted childishly. She crossed he arms and sent a mental message that she was giving her mind the silent treatment. The voice chuckled.

Stepping out of the shadows Renee covered her eyes at the blinding light. She squinted her eyes to adjust to the bright light while the feel of the suns rays on her skin. A creaking of chains drew Renee's attention to the left. Upon spotted the mop of red hair swaying in at low breeze she smiled. She was going to call his name till she noticed the sad expression on his face.

Silently she stood back and watch Gaara as he sat on the swing barely moving as the chains squeaked from every shift of the swing. She glanced between him and then the group of children running around playing with a ball. Looking back at him, she noticed something that tore at her heart. There was a pain-filled loneliness slipping off of Gaara in waves. Before she even knew it Renee was standing in front of him.

"Hello Gaara-kun." Her voice was soft but even then Gaara looked startled when he looked at her. Her lips tipped into a smile and she squinted her eyes. "What are you doing over here?" She quirked her brow and looked over at the children screaming and laughing, before her gaze returned to Gaara, the sad expression on his face had returned.

"They don't want to play with me." He stated sadly while looking down at his feet.

Renee cocked her head then crouched in front of him to peer at his face. "Now why is that?" She asked.

Gaara's jade eyes flickered to hers before landing back on his toes. "They call me a monster." He mumbled softly.

Renee rocked back on her heels shocked. She glanced back and forth between the kids playing and Gaara. Renee felt a stirring within her mind and repressed her flinch at the at the voices cold words.

_'I told you.'_ The voice whispered. _'The child is dangerous. '_

_'Go away.'_ Renee replied and tried to block the voice.

Renee knew very well how cruel kids could be but it still shocked her sometimes just how mean they could get. "Well then," Renee stood and dusted of her and smiled proudly. "After all I'm your friend, right Panda-kun?" She winked pants before smiling at Gaara. "If they won't play with you I will." She placed her hands on her hips after using his nickname before laughing. She grinned even bigger when she noticed the small smile on his face. "Right then let's go..." She trailed off and looked behind her as the group of children fell silent and stared up at the high wall above them.

She blinked only once and Gaara pushed off the swing and walked past her. He placed the bear on the ground next to his feet before lifting his hands. Renee gaped as the ball everyone had been staring at slowly descended from its perch and drifted safely into Gaara's upturned palms. Shock courses through Renee's body and even though she knew she was dreaming, witnessing this was a shock to her system.

Apparently she was not the only one shocked, all the children stared at Gaara. For a small second Renee was proud of him for trying to make friends, but that feeling disappeared the moment she caught the children's faces as they started to whisper amongst themselves. Dread filled her stomach as Gaara held out the ball to the children who looked petrified.

"Isn't that Gaara?" A boy whispered to a girl who nodded but never took her terrified eyes off of the small red headed child.

"Oh god why's he here." Another child exclaimed in the back where Renee couldn't see who had said it.

"R-run!" Someone yelled and all the kids took off running leaving Gaara alone with a ball.

Renee teetered forward or tried to, but it seemed her legs would not obey her command. _'Watch child.'_ The voice hissed, it sounded strained like it was trying to lift something heavy, or stop someone's movements. _'Understand now what monsters you befriend.'_ It hissed. Had Renee not been panicking about her unresponsive body she might have cussed the voice out.

"No wait!" Gaara dropped the ball and reached his small hand out like he was able to stop there escape. "Don't leave!" Renee's blue eyes widen as sand rose and wrapped around a boy and girls ankles. "Please stop running away." He pleaded over the cries of the kids begging to be released. Gaara's hand pressed against his forehead like he was in pain. "I don't want to be alone anymore." He whispered while the sand around him stirred. It whipped around him like it was agitated.

'_A monster who wears a children's clothing.'_ The voice mumbled and Renee stared at horror as the sand started to draw back. It looked like a viper pulling back and getting ready to strike.

"No." She whispered as she strained against her frozen muscles as the sand drew back more. "Gaara NO!" Renee screamed as she was suddenly moving towards him. Instead of jumping in front of the girl she grabbed a hold of Gaara and pressed his face in to her shoulder. Fear coursed through her body, she was terrified of the boy now, but at the same time her heart was breaking for him. She was trembling when she looked back at the girl. Instead of seeing a bloody mess that was once a girl, Renee was met with the sight of a man who looked very, very shocked. The sand that was going to strike now lay innocently on the ground, blending in with the other sand.

The brown haired girl laying on the ground started wide eyed at Renee before scrambling to her feet and running off.

"Yashamaru." Gaara looked over Renee's shoulder to the blue eye male. Renee slowly dropped her arms and stepped away from Gaara. She felt uncomfortable underneath the mans unwavering stare. Gaara had taken steps towards the man before pausing to look back at Renee. The moment he raised his hand, a flash of moving sand moved before her eyes, which made Renee step away from Gaara out of fear. She knew the moment she had flinched away from his hand that she had done some irreversible damage to the boy. Widen jade eyes slowly backed away from Renee as she stood frozen from her action.

"Oh Gaara-kun." She whispered, trying desperately to figure out how to fix the heartbroken expression on his face. Gaara immediately ducked behind the brunettes leg. Tears leaked out of the corner of his wide teal eyes. Gaara started to press himself into Yashamaru's leg. Her stormy blue eyes looked between Gaara's crying face to Yashamaru's closed off one.

"Gaara-kun," She reached for him and recoiled when he flinched.

"I think you should leave miss." A deep voice stated. Renee looked up a the brunette and flinched, she took two steps back while staring at the passive eyes. His eyes had taken a flat look to him. It was the same look her father had given her when he looked at her like he was trying to figure something out. She dropped her gaze to her feet and simply stood there till she heard their retreat. She stayed there, unmoving, listening to the scuffing of shoes distant themselves from her. Then she tilted her head, allowing blue eyes to peer through the brown curls to stare at the retreating figures.

_'You were never meant to befriend him.'_ The voice commented. Renee just wiped the tears from her face and sniffled. _'People like him don't mixed with people like us.'_

"Everyone needs a friend." Renee whispered quietly as she rubbed her forearm against her eyes. "To deny a child a friend is to deny them a chance for change, or a better future." Renee looked up at the dusty surroundings, she let the few tears that remained slide down her cheek. "I will never abandon another." Clenching her fist she glanced down at the bear that had been forgotten. Slowly she picked it up and pressed her face to the bears worn fabric. The smell of stale sweat clung to the bears fur, making it have a sour scent. Even so she kept her face pressed against it as she turned around to start making her way away from the park.

Her mind was sorting through ways to make up to Gaara, to fix what she had broken, when someone grabbed a hold of her shoulder.

"I've been looking or you Renee." A deep voice rumbled darkly behind her. Slowly she peered over her shoulder at the tall bulky man clutching her shoulder painfully. Her grip tightened on Gaara's bear as cold dead eyes looked down at her.

_'Just smile at him and call him daddy._' The voice advice, her voice held a slight panic to it.

_'He is no father of mine.'_ Renee protested but did as the voice suggested. There was something wrong about him.

"Hi daddy!" Her child's voice held a syrupy sweet tone that made her want to cringe.

The man grunted and started to steer her down the street, the hand on her shoulder loosened its grip. The blood rushed to the spot immediately, and started to throb painfully. She knew there would be a bruise there tomorrow.

_'Starting to think your not dreaming are we?'_

_'Go to hell.'_ Renee snarled and her foot stumbled. Black dots stated to dancing in her eyes and Renee clutched to bear closer. As her mind wheeled and her stomach turned. Renee's thoughts turned to a sad red headed boy who had looked at her with tears in his eyes as he ran. She still needed to fix it, she had to.

_'He ties you to this world.'_ The voice whispered, like it had an epiphany, as the world faded around her. Still Renee clutched the bear to her chest as everything faded black.

* * *

There it is, kind of short but the next one will be longer, promise! Thank you for reading and will see you next week. ~GT


End file.
